Overview
Government can build a culture of innovation that survives organizational challenges and drives long-term results. Innovation starts with having the right foundation for sustainable, purpose-aligned programs.
Problem
Attempts to innovate in the public sector have had mixed results, and successes are often not broadly shared. Compounding this, many widely-recognized innovation projects have struggled with long-term sustainability because of election cycles and changing leadership. Part of the challenge is a misunderstanding of what innovation is and how to codify it into a public organization’s operations.
Solution
Understand that innovation is not the same as invention. Invention is the creation of something new. Innovation is about improvement or adaptation, about finding adjacent possibilities for what you already have (technology, people, etc.). There is no silver bullet for a successful innovation program, but there are elements that can ensure lasting success.
Context
Government agencies across the country have put an increasing focus on being innovative. But they often don’t have a clear idea of what it is and how to implement it. They also tend to confuse innovation with invention or idea generation. True innovation is achieved when it’s embraced as an operating model and as the exploration of adjacent possibilities.
Once well established, innovation initiatives must be codified to survive well beyond election cycles. This can be done through governance models that leverage internal and external stakeholders who provide stability (and diversity of thought along the way). A public agency should have a seat at the table — but not be the sole driver of an innovation program.
Long-term innovation is made possible by laying the right foundation and continuously building on it.
Engage the ecosystem
Foundationally, agencies must start by engaging their community ecosystem. This includes employees, businesses, academia, non-governmental organizations, community organizations, and other stakeholders. This group should not just be traditional “leaders” — it must reflect the diversity of the community.
Align the agenda
Next, agencies must align their innovation agenda with organizational or community challenges. They can start with pre-identified organizational or community goals (i.e., comprehensive plans, etc.) or leverage an open approach to help identify them. There are numerous tools and tactics that can help with this, including:
- Challenge-based procurement programs
- Open innovation platforms (i.e., idea collection)
- Joint ventures
- Public-private partnerships (P3s)
Start small, improve continuously
Once an innovation project or set of projects is defined and mapped to community needs, leverage agile methodologies for delivery. This means starting with a minimum viable product (MVP) of the innovation and continuing to iterate over time, working in predefined “sprints” (can be two weeks or one month).
Ensure that there are clearly defined milestones and key performance indicators to guide and benchmark the program along the way. Build resiliency in your program by empowering stakeholders with the ability to drive innovation projects.
Measure, adapt, and repeat. Innovation is a continuous process. Once one cycle or project is complete, analyze what has been learned and move onto the next challenge.
Finally, look for opportunities to share success and collaborate with other agencies. Although innovation programs may be regionally focused, many tactics and best practices are applicable to all governments.
Examples
There are numerous examples from inside and outside of government that demonstrate this bottom-up approach in action, including:
- Boston’s New Urban Mechanics: civic research and design team that tackles intractable problems with experiments and prototypes
- Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities, City Leadership Initiatives, i-Teams: programs designed to help advance public innovation
- Harvard Business School Public Entrepreneurship: for students who want to solve big problems or become innovators inside government
Mantras
- Innovation is not invention
- Innovation is everyone’s job
Checklist
- Engage the full ecosystem in innovation work.
- Codify innovation capabilities within the organizational structure and job descriptions of all employees.
- Provide opportunities to tap collective insights through open innovation.
- Leverage innovative procurement practices to find, pilot, and scale new ideas.
- Build innovation metrics and key performance indicators into regular council or executive reports.
- Share learnings with other agencies and collaborate on joint projects that can help a broader community.
Questions to ask
- Are we focused on solving a one-time effort or creating capacity to support innovation?
- Do our stakeholders represent the diversity of my overall community?
- What can we do to cultivate ideas and approaches from within the organization?
- What other organizations or jurisdictions can we partner with to scale our work and impact?
